'2016 budget is fuelled by insincerity, shrouded in fantasy'

yinka ogunlami

December 23, 2015 11:32 AM

” We need far more fiscal discipline and seriousness than that if our government really wishes to improve the economy and better the lives of ordinary people."

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Ex-aviation minister and former spokesman of Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, has swiped the Buhari led government over the proposed 2016 budget. He described the budget as "fuelled by insincerity" and unrealistic.

In a statement issued to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, Fani Kayode commented the Buhari's administration was spending the country's scarce resources like a drunken sailor. He also denounced the government for borrowing too much money for white elephant projects.

The ex-aviation minister opined the government was directionless and moving to jeopardize the future of Nigerians. He claimed that Nigerians were better-off in Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“The 2016 budget is fuelled by insincerity, shrouded in fantasy, built on tall dreams and spawned by deceit, ignorance and the illusion of change. It is bloated, unrealistic, expensive, cosmetic and it will not result in anything good.

“In order to fund part of the budget the government intends to borrow money and this will throw our country into even greater debt. What a tragedy this is given the fact that in 2007 Nigeria was debt-free. The Buhari administration is spending money like a drunken sailor and they are borrowing as if there is no tomorrow, mortgaging the future of our nation and our children.

Read: FFK says Buhari will throw Nigeria into more debt

” We need far more fiscal discipline and seriousness than that if our government really wishes to improve the economy and better the lives of ordinary people.

“Meanwhile the Federal Government has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is responsible for today’s long fuel queues even though he left office 7 months ago.

” They seem to have forgotten that in 2012 it was their group, led by Bola Tinubu, Nasir El Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi and President Buhari himself that aggressively opposed deregulation and almost brought the whole country to a standstill with protests and riots all over the place in their efforts to prevent the government from removing the oil subsidy.

“Had it not been for their pettiness, lack of understanding, shortsightedness and double standards the subsidy would have been removed three years ago and fuel queues would have been a thing of history. Sadly they lacked the foresight to appreciate the virtues of that policy and today they have the nerve to blame Jonathan for the mess that they themselves essentially created.

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“They have been in power for 7 months now: it is time for them to step up to the plate, start taking responsibility for their own actions, do a better job and stop blaming Jonathan for their own miserable and avoidable failures.”

Femi Fani Kayode, who has been very critical of the APC led federal government, equally decried the slow pace of development and the suffering of Nigerians under the Buhari led government.

yinka ogunlami